One Starry Night Welcomes Reagan Pasternak..
With the excitement building throughout Pasadena & Los Angeles for the up-coming One Starry Night event to fight ALS, I am so excited to introduce you to one of the stars of the performance happening April 20th. Hailing from Canada, Reagan Pasternak has been a successful actress since 1998, best known for her TV roles in Being Erica & The Disney Channel’s In A Heartbeat. Since she is both an actress & vocalist, I am anxious to see what she has in store for One Starry Night. Til then, learn more about her below! xo
Mary: You’ve had some extremely great work & roles over the course of your career. Not only do you act, but you’re also a singer. How did you get started in the performing arts?
Reagen: Well… I’ve always been someone who is very “right-brained”. In other words, I think in a very abstract way and I often struggled with traditional academia. It sounds cliché, but I always believe that performing arts kind of saved me; (It) made me feel like I belonged somewhere. I tagged along with my older sister to a singing lesson when I was about seven and caught “the bug”… From there it’s been a pretty singular path. And I still love it just as much as I did then.
Who were your inspirations growing up, & who do you admire in Hollywood today?
Way too many people to even begin listing. I love so many different actors for so many different reasons. I tend to gravitate towards people who can be funny and heartbreaking at the same time. I always loved Jane Krakowski from her Ally Mcbeal days. I love Dustin Hoffman and every aspect and performance in the movie Tootsie (I can watch it over and over). I love Robert Downy Junior. And transformative actors like Jessica Chastain.
Your character, Julieanne, on the hit CBS series, Being Erica, was famous for over & mis-using the use of air quotes, while driving Erica crazy! Did that ever make you start using them at all in your real life, or did you know better?
I think you do sometimes take on weird characteristics of the characters you play! Especially after playing them for four years. So… yes? Maybe I did start doing air quotes here and there. Much to my dismay (laughs).
How did you get involved with One Starry Night? Are you familiar with The Pasadena Playhouse?
You know, I’m still not sure who thought I’d be a good fit for One Starry Night or why… But I am sure glad they did. I absolutely love performing and being involved in charity. Especially one as acute as ALS. It just makes you feel good to give back. And to be a part of a team as driven and talented as this one kind of feels like a blessing. — And, hey, getting a beautiful and historical venue like The Pasadena Playhouse is just the icing on the cake.
As I told you, I’m a huge fan of Zelda Fitzgerald, & you portrayed her in 2003’s Hemingway vs. Callaghan. What was it like to play her, & how did you prepare?
She was an interesting woman for sure!! When I first auditioned I knew very little about Zelda Fitzgerald. But after getting the role, I read her biography and anything else I could get my hands on about her. I kind of fell in love with her and all her complexities. She was way ahead of her time, and I “got” her in a big way. I could immediately understand why they cast me, as there were many character traits that I share with her and could completely empathize with what it must have been like to be a woman (especially a woman like Zelda) living in her husbands shadow during that oppressive time.
Tickets start at $75.00 for One Starry Night at The Pasadena Playhouse & are selling fast. Click here to secure yours & learn more! xo
(*Disclosure: I work often with The Pasadena Playhouse & am always happy to share my love for this theatre, all opinions are my own.)